A KEEN gardener was stunned by the size of a squash in this year’s crop on his allotment at Old Woking.

Bob Dewsy says the vegetable is exceptional. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” he added. “It looks more like a pumpkin than a squash.”

With the help of News & Mail photographer Terry Habgood, he weighed and measured the squash to find it was 70lb (31.7kg) and 4ft (122cm) in diameter.

Bob, 83, grew the giant specimen from seed at Derrys Field Allotments, where he has had a plot for nearly 40 years. “Even the chairman of the allotment association, Tony Harding, couldn’t believe the size of it,” he said.

This year was a good year for parsnips, curly kale and spinach on his patch, but squashes had done even better, added Bob, who lives in Kingfield.

He has offered to give the squash to a family or organisation that would like to use it for food – or a Halloween lantern. “It would be just as good for carving as a pumpkin,” he said.

If you would like the squash to eat or for Halloween, contact the News & Mail on 01483 375793 or email [email protected] and we will put you in touch with Bob.